“All roads lead to rum.” -W. C. Fields
The links below jump to specifics topics, or you can scroll down to see them all.
From mid-2022, the Rum Wonk Substack has added many more in-depth articles. Also, many of the articles below are expanded on in my book, Modern Caribbean Rum.
Rum Overviews
Deep Dives
Myth Busting
Geographic Indications (Regulations) for Rum
Rum History
British Royal Navy Rum History
Jamaican Rum
Demerara Rum (Guyana)
Martinique / Guadeloupe (French Rhum)
Cuban Rum
Barbados Rum
Saint Lucia Rum
Puerto Rican Rum
Trinidad Rum
Grenada Rum
Interviews
Other Rummy Topics
Rum Wonk Substack
Since July of 2022 most of my rum writings have been on my Rum Wonk Substack.
Why Does Jamaica Limit Its Rum to 1600 Esters?
Something that makes Jamaican rum so unusual is a particular substyle colloquially known as high ester rum. Most hardcore Jamaican rum wonks have heard that a law prohibits selling Jamaican rum with an ester level exceeding 1600. Naturally, we might ask: what are ester levels? And why do the Jamaica…
Pernod Ricard to Acquire Bumbu?
Last month (October 2022), an important rum-related news story crossed the business wires with relatively little fanfare. Shanken News Daily’s headline noted: Pernod Ricard Increases Stake In Sovereign Brands. Unless you follow spirits companies closely, the story’s significance might slip by unnoti…
First Look – Inside the Modern Caribbean Rum Book
After three years of research, writing, editing, and laying out, our new book, Modern Caribbean Rum, is off the printing press and for sale at the Wonk Press store. A brief tour of the book’s structure and contents follows. By the Numbers As a former software engineer
Can you bring Cuban Rum Into the US?
A frequent question in rum groups with American members is, “Can I bring Cuban rum home with me to the US?” Unfortunately, the answers provided are partially or fully incorrect. The correct answer has flip-flopped in recent years, yet few people have the time/energy/brain space to keep up with the c…
Martinique Rum Production Update – Rhum Clément
A brief note today to keep Martinique rum enthusiasts updated on where their favorite brands are distilled. TL;DR – per authoritative sources, Rhum Clément now obtains its unaged rum from the Fonds Préville distillery, which is also where Rhum J.M is made. The distillery and both brands are owned by
Brown-Forman’s Diplomatico Purchase: Beneath the Surface
Brown-Forman’s recent announcement of its planned acquisition of Venezuela’s Diplomatico rum has rum-industry watchers pondering the ramifications. America’s largest spirits conglomerate, and home of Jack Daniels, is finally dipping its toes into the rum space in a big way; Diplomatico rum is among…
O Canada: Snowshoe Sam and the Prehistory of 151 Rum
Compared with this rum, for blowing your top. They all are as mild as strawberry pop. — The March of Snowshoe Sam, 1943 One of rum’s eternal questions is how 151 proof rum came about. That is, why are so many rums bottled at 151 proof rather than the more obvious 150 proof, being a nice round number…
In Search of Jamaican Overproof Rum History
When it comes to rum, seemingly simple questions often lead deep down a rabbit hole of more complex questions. Today’s example: while analyzing the rums used during Tiki’s “golden era” during the writing of Minimalist Tiki I realized that no classic Tiki recipes used unaged Jamaican overproof rum—as…
When it Comes to Cocktails, Where Your Rum Came From May Not Matter
Having built a modest reputation around explaining rum styles and categories over many years, this piece’s title may have been a surprise. I’ll bet many of you arrived here to see just what the hell I’ve been smoking.Thanks for reading Rum Wonk with Matt Pietrek! Subscribe for free to receive new po…
Ruminations Column (Bevvy)
- All Ruminations posts are here
- Rum Misconception #1: Rum Is Sweet
- Rum Misconception #2: All White Rum Is the Same
- Rum Misconception #3: Darker Rum Is Better
- Rum Misconception #4: Older Rum Is Better
- Rum Misconception #5: Rum Has No Rules
- The Global Grass Roots Efforts to Rehabilitate Rum’s Reputation
- The Best Rums Under $30 for the Aspiring Rum Enthusiast
- Choosing the Best Rum for Old-Fashioneds
- In Praise of Blended Rums
- Why Do Rum Makers Filter Their Rums?
- Rhum Agricole vs. Cachaça: Clearing Up the Canefusion
- Rum-ify the Classic Sidecar Cocktail
- Rum, Rhum, Ron: What’s the Difference – Part 1?
- Rum, Rhum, Ron: What’s the Difference – Part 2?
- Cask Finished Rums: Great Idea or Gimmick?
- What Exactly is Navy Rum?
- On the Record With Rum Legend Luca Gargano – Part 1
- Rum Expert Luca Gargano on Truth in Labeling and Tropical Aging
- Talking Rum With Spiribam’s Benjamin Jones
- Plantation’s Alexandre Gabriel on Rum’s Past and Future
- Guyana Makes Liquid Gold at Demerara Distillers
- Angostura Rums Are Nothing to Be Bitter About
- A Renegade Rum Maker Rises in Grenada
- Navy Rum and the Black Tot, 50 Years Later
PUNCH Magazine
- The Dutch Masters Behind the World’s Funkiest Rums
- Has “Solera” Become a Dirty Word in Rum?
- How Foursquare Became the Pappy of Rum
- Resurrecting Tiki’s Lost Rums
